That missing tooth which leaves an obvious hole…
Have you lost a tooth, maybe in a spot in the mouth which is not very evident, and laziness has made you wait before deciding to replace it?
Even if the “hole” is not noticeable, we strongly advise you not to let time pass. Unfortunately, the lack of a dental element (edentulism) can have important consequences on your health and is not just about aesthetics.
When a tooth falls, indeed, the entire mouth balance alters. A series of chain modifications are triggered which lead to a general degradation at the expense of other teeth, gums and attached neuromuscular structures, but also of the farthest body districts.
Here are some consequences of a missing tooth:
- Neighboring teeth shift and tilt. In case of a loss involving a tooth of the lower arch, the antagonist tooth (the correspondent one in the upper arch) goes down or up. With such situation, when it is time to replace the tooth, it is first necessary to intervene orthodontically to restore the balance of the teeth of the affected area.
- With time (sometimes a year is enough) almost every element in the mouth shifts. In this way the arch occlusion becomes irregular and asymmetrical, adding functional problems to aesthetic ones.
- A chewing damage arises because we begin to favor one-sided chewing. The right side or the left one is overloaded and, consequently, teeth wear out and get dirty in different ways. This situation helps the bacterial plaque deposit, favors the development of tartar and gingivitis, as well as of caries.
- Damage to the temporomandibular joint caused by the alteration of the forces which arches are submitted during chewing and phonation. The lack of balance between the jaw and other body elements connected to it could cause the rise of cascading problems.
- Pain and disorders of the cervical spine, of the neck muscle bands, of the shoulders, but also loin sciatica and knee pain.
- Also posture, the nervous system and ung and craniosacral breathing can be negatively affected.
- An alteration in the face symmetry arises with a hypertrophy of the muscles which work the most. We therefore have a vicious cycle which shifts and tilts the teeth more and more.
- As time passes aprogressive bone resorption may also occur in the affected area. This will be at the expense of the chances of success of a subsequent dental insertion, connected to the decay of the facial soft tissues, no longer supported by a complete dental arch.
- Speech and relationship difficulties.
- Chewing and digestive disorders because food not properly chewed risks to overload the digestive system.
Edentulism should never be underestimated, however limited and irrelevant it may seem. Infact, it is not only reflected on the aesthetic aspect, but it also affects the harmony and health of the mouth and the whole body.
Even if it has been a while and you have not taken care of yourself, there is always a solution to a missing tooth, so you will be able to find balance and health. Do not wait any longer and go to your dentist for a consultation and a mouth rehabilitation proposal.
Find out how to rehabilitate your mouth with Implantology.
